Clearwire, Cbeyond Partner on 4G Service for Businesses

Cost-conscious businesses looking to get 4G mobile Internet service have a new option with Clearwire and Cbeyond, which will offer bundled 4G mobile Internet services to small businesses in early 2011.

Clearwire, a provider of wireless broadband services and
operator of the largest 4G network in the country, and Cbeyond, a
provider of voice, broadband, mobile and IT applications to more than
52,000 small businesses in the United States, announced a wholesale agreement
where Cbeyond will offer bundled 4G mobile Internet services to small
businesses in early 2011 using Clearwire's 4G mobile broadband network.
The partnership is designed to give small businesses the ability to
leverage faster Internet speeds in the office or on the go.
The agreement will enable Cbeyond to offer mobile broadband services as
part of its existing voice and broadband Internet product suite for
small businesses, using Clearwire's 4G network. Cbeyond's integrated
suite of IT and communications tools and applications are available in
14 major U.S. cities with solutions serving 5 to 250 employees.
Clearwire currently offers its 4G service under its own brand, called
Clear, and through the brands of other major wholesalers.

"We are dedicated to providing technology solutions to our small
business customers that maximize their productivity and growth," said
Jim Geiger, CEO and founder of Cbeyond. "Clearwire's 4G network
provides small businesses with a reliable, always-on, high capacity
Internet service whether in the office or on the go enabling small
businesses to focus on what they do best - run their business."

The 4G customer experience using Clearwire's network would be similar
to WiFi, the company stated, but without the short-range limitations.
Clearwire's network uses a wireless 4G technology that differs from
WiFi because it provides service areas measured in miles, not feet.
Cbeyond said its new mobile service would offer average mobile download
speeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts over 10 mbps, using the Clearwire
network. Clearwire's 4G network is currently available in more than a
dozen cities, in areas of the United States where approximately 56
million people live, and is expected to expand throughout the country
this year, the company noted.
"We welcome Cbeyond as our newest wholesale partner. This new
partnership not only expands our wholesale business, but it also
extends true broadband mobility with 4G further into the small business
market," said Teresa Elder, president of strategic partnerships and
wholesale at Clearwire. "Our relationship with Cbeyond is further
validation of Clearwire's -network of networks' approach, which allows
us, together with our wholesale customers, to extend the unique value
of mobile broadband to a more diverse and broader spectrum of
consumers."

Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.